


More Than Partners

by HappyLeech



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Multi, OT3, Smoking refrence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-04 21:37:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5349422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyLeech/pseuds/HappyLeech
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of kisses leads to...something</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> SO IM REALLY BAD AT WRITING THIS KINDA STUFF SO-  
> I hope u like I'm ot3 tra sh uwu

When Sebastian first kisses Joseph, to him it’s nothing but a terrible mistake. 

It was a late night, they'd been celebrating catching a guy, and it just…happened. In between drinks and jokes and claps on the back, Sebastian had simply leant in, and kissed Joseph.

It didn’t last, and they quickly relocated to opposite parts of the bar, but still Sebastian felt the heat on his lips, shame in his heart.

_‘I love my wife I love Myra I love my wife,’_ he chants to himself for the next awkward week, unable to avoid Joseph and unwilling to talk about it; pretending it didn’t happen.

Pretending that he doesn’t think of the kiss, think of how different his life would have become if they’d deepened it. 

Pretending that Joseph isn’t slowly edging Myra out of place in his heart.

 

When Juli first kisses Sebastian, she tells herself that it was only because of work.

Their murder suspects been spotted, and they’re tailing him, trying to keep out of sight so the fucker can’t get away. So when he turns around- to see if someone was following, hearing a noise, Juli doesn’t know- her first reaction is to pull her superior down into a deep kiss.

She threads her fingers into his dark hair, pulling at his tie as she forces them to stumble back into a doorway. And she doesn’t let him up for air until a good few minutes later.

Once the coast is more than clear, she apologizes, red-faced as they continue their prowl, and even though he waves it away with a hand, she can’t stop thinking about it.

How good it felt, and how he’d kissed her back.

 

When Joseph first kisses Sebastian, it's on purpose. 

He knows he shouldn't- there's an entire list of reasons why he shouldn't- and even with an apology to the missing Myra in mind, he continues.

Regulations be damned.

And soon there’s too much liquor and not enough common sense in his system, and he presses into his partner, tasting the whiskey in his mouth. A gloved hand rises to cup Sebastian’s face, and Joseph sinks, recalling the quick kiss in the bar. The heat he’d felt, and the feeling’s it’d awakened within him.

In the morning he might regret this, but for now there’s nothing but him, Sebastian, and a split glass of Jack on the ground. 

 

When Juli first kisses Joseph, it's in the back of the patrol car. 

It's early and Sebastian’s already inside the precinct collecting their case. She crawls from the passengers side to the back, out of a simple whim, where Joseph sits in a half-awakened daze. 

Fingers carefully take his glasses, setting them on the console behind her, and she gently kisses him once on his eye-lids. He opens his mouth to protest, and she leaves him a more forceful kiss on the lips. 

He curls an arm around her waist in response, like he wants it all to continue, before drawing back abruptly. He’s a little red, but more awake, and she cocks her head to the side before climbing back to her space.

“You need more sleep,” she says and he shakes his head. 

“There's work to do,” he replies, and she sighs as she stares at him in the rear-view mirror, wishing Sebastian was there as well.

 

When Sebastian first kisses Juli, they’re outside his favourite bar.

He doesn't know why she's there, but he doesn't care. 

Some nights he can feel her fingers in his hair, pulling him down towards her waiting mouth, and now is the time to reciprocate. It leaves them both panting and wanting more, but he pushes her away, reluctantly, before anyone can see.

And soon his chants of his loyalty to his wife change, blurring as Myra turns to Joseph and Juli.

Finding himself in love with them both.

 

When Joseph first kisses Juli, she's in the hospital. 

Sideswiped by a perp as he took off in a car, she's mostly fine, but they want her in for observation. People file in and out, Sebastian lingering as if he’s unsure if he should go before he’s dragged off to continue the investigation. 

Joseph is last to leave, moving from his position against the window to her bed, leaning in. He touches her hand, her arm as he leans in, and she raises her head to meet him half-way. The kiss starts deep, but doesn’t last as Juli pulls away to yawn into her arm. 

“You need to sleep,” he tells her with a small smile, and she laughs.

And god, does he ever want to share that laugh with Seb.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhh i don't know what I'm writing  
> (ALSO if u notice the tenses swipswapping, I'm bad at keeping them consistent, haha )

When they all intermingle, it could almost be considered an accident.

Joseph is only at Sebastian’s to deliver a few papers, Juli there to make the entire endeavor less awkward. 

Sebastian opens the door, weary and quiet, looking like hell, and Joseph almost regrets reporting Sebastian as he motions for both of them to enter. But, it was all for his own good! He was going to kill himself, working like he was, drinking like he was, and that was a thought that made Joseph cringe. 

Juli sits by Sebastian the minute she can, almost sprawling out on his partner's couch, and his heart slowly sinks. He had his suspicions, but...part of him still hopes that her and Sebastian aren't involved.

“Are you two dating?” He asks not so casually, putting a post-it note on the papers, bold letters emphasizing that they need to be looked at, dreading the answer.

 

Juli jumps, Sebastian starts, and they both give him an odd look. 

 

“No...” Sebastian trails off, trying to think of why Joseph would ask. “Why?”

 

Joseph shrugs and hopes he’s not being too petty. “I saw you outside of Vesta a while back.” Not that he stalked his partner, but he keeps track of where Sebastian goes for when he gets a slurred request for a ride. 

 

Juli is silent and red, and hides her face in her hands. This wasn't how she wanted to be found out!

 

Sebastian shakes his head- he'd though they'd gotten away Scott-free, but obviously not. And it had obviously hurt his partner to see them. 

“Wait…so you mean you and Juli aren't dating then? Or are you? I saw you both when when she was in the hospital...” If he'd broken up a relationship...

 

This time Joseph shakes his head, a little confused. He could have sworn....

 

And then Juli speaks up, still red but no longer hiding in her hands. 

“I thought you two were-“ she pauses. “I mean, you're so close all the time, and uh…sometimes you talk in your sleep, Joseph. It's kinda telling.”

 

Now Joseph is beat red, god when did she hear-?!-and Sebastian baffled. 

 

“Juli’s stayed at your place?” He asks, unsure. Joseph didn't seem the type to be into one night stands...

 

Joseph shakes his head wildly, eyes wide and terrified. 

“N-no! I have no idea what she's talking about-“ he stammers, and Juli rolls her eyes, a small smile emerging. 

 

“He sleeps at his desk, genius. You know, when we’re working? Besides…I've noticed that yours isn't the only name that shows up. Im pretty pleased that my name ends up in there too.” She says with an embarrassed grin, and Sebastian actually snickers as Joseph flops down on one of the kitchen chairs, laying his head down with a muttered ‘shit’.

 

“So, what- you're in love with both of us then?” He teases, silently hoping that Joseph says yes. Silently hoping that someone else in their team feels the same as him. 

He doesn't want to have to choose between them. 

 

“I mean, I can see why. I am absolutely gorgeous-“ Juli poses on the couch as she speaks, “- and Sebastian’s a real catch. If you asked us both out, I don’t think either of us would say no.” She's ignoring the part of her yelling at her about her Möbius orders. At this point she cares more for her partners that some man in a suit who barked orders at her through a phone. “And I mean, you're pretty damn nice looking. I might not even want to share, Seb.”

 

Now Sebastian's turning red with Juli’s ribbing, and he coughs as he attempts to speak.

“W-well, gotta say that Juli isn’t wrong. Though her assuming that I’m gonna give you up is a rookie move from the rookie.” Oh god, why’d he say that. He coughs again, turning red. What kind of shit was his mouth going to get him in this time?

 

After a moment, Joseph sits up, the look on his face a combination between a scowl and utter embarrassment.

“If this is you two making fun of me-“ he says, quietly, not quite meeting either of their eyes, his hands clenching. 

 

Sebastian looks between Juli and Joseph, before shooting up off the couch. Was that really what he thought? They hadn’t meant it that way.

“What, no! No way- would you really think I'd do something like that?” he can’t hide the hurt in his voice, and Joseph shrugs from his spot in the kitchen.

 

“You have been…pretty mad at me this last little while,” he says, resting his head on his hands, watching them both. He doesn’t think Seb would be someone to mock him about his feelings, but…well he hadn’t expected him to sink into the bottle so deep or so fast. And as much as he liked Juli, she was a mystery. A very nice looking mystery with superb kissing skills, but still. 

They could both me poking fun at him, and he really wouldn't know.

 

“Yeah, but there's a difference between being angry and being malicious. Besides…I’m not that angry anymore.” Sebastian runs his hands through his hair as he walks into the kitchen, Juli sprawling out on the couch behind him. “Trust me on that at least, if nothing else- I not making fun of you.” 

He leans up against the counter, tries to relax as he looks from Juli to Joseph. This wasn’t what he planned for the night, but it’s not the worst thing that could have happened.

“I…god it feels so obvious now, but…I loved Myra. I mean, I still will, but…” he groans, trying to figure out his words. How can he say that he loves them both, without stumbling over his words? How can he make Joseph believe him?

“But you’ve turned your attention to us, instead?” Joseph asks dryly, and Sebastian shakes his head.

“No! I’ve always liked you, Joseph. Since we met, I have! But, I mean, I never thought you’d be interested in me at all. Besides, I was getting married, but…”

The fact that there was a ‘but’ at all should have clued him in sooner that Joseph was more than a partner to him.

“And Juli- I was in a bad spot when you joined, but as sneaky as you are at times…” he shrugs, and Juli laughs. “I still really like you. In fact I might be edging into the love territory for the both of you.”

 

“Might be? I mean, I’m already hip-deep in the “Love Territory” with both of you, but I can try and wade out of your territory if you want, Seb.” Juli snickers, and Sebastian turns red and waves a hand at her.

“Oh shut up Kidman,” he growls to her, regretting having said anything. “I don’t need any of that sass of yours.”

She grins at him. “Sorry, but the sass is part of the package, Sebbie.”

Joseph snorts, then shakes his head. “Okay, okay. You really aren’t making fun of me, are you?”

“Nope,” Sebastian relaxes a bit, glad to get through to Joseph. He doesn’t want to lose him a friend, or lover, like that.

 

“Okay…well then, how do we do this? If this is going to be done, that is.” Juli lights up at Joseph’s words, and she stands, walking into the kitchen.

“No idea! But we can figure it out as we go, right?” she slides into the other kitchen chair, and rests her chin on her hand. “Not like there’s a manual for this kinda love, huh. And it is that- I'm totally in love with both of you- glasses and chain-smoking and all.”

Joseph snorts and Sebastian looks fake offended, and she grins wide, sticking her tongue out at them both.

 

"Yeah-" Joseph looks at them both, relaxing. It wasn't what he'd expected, but better. "-we'll figure it out."


	3. Chapter 3

Up until that point, that day, Juli had been content to put aside her orders. She could fool the bitter part of herself who demanded results by claiming she was just keeping an eye on them both. 

She'd been lying to more than just herself, though. 

So, standing there in _His_ office, Juli listened to her new mission parameters. Going into STEM, Joseph and Sebastian going as well…she didn't want that. 

Until that point, the only issues in their relationship was who's house they were staying over at, and that's the only issue she'd ever want.

 

She didn't let them in her’s- it was bugged, she was sure, so she told them it was in a bad part of town, small and crappy. So they didn't ask and she didn't tell. 

Joseph's apartment was nice, but too small. Every time they stayed over, someone got kicked off the bed partway through the night and they all woke up in a poor mood. It was nice enough to spend the time there, but sleeping over was a no go. 

Sebastian's was roomy enough, but was usually a mess. Months into it, and Juli knew to come earlier than Joseph to clean a little.

And now she's be letting them, leading them, into a nightmare. And she couldn't tell them. 

 

“Okay, spill it.” Starting, she looked up at Joseph. “For the last week, you've looked like someone's killed your puppy, and me and Seb can't figure it out. What's wrong?”

Sebastian was still inside with Connelly, talking to their witness, so there was no chance of being over-heard, but still she hesitated. She couldn't tell them, couldn't tell anything.

“…dunno. I think I'm getting sick.” Juli shrugged, not believing herself, and hoping that Joseph did. It was a weak answer, but he didn't get a chance to argue with her as Connelly and Sebastian finally walked out to the car. 

“May as while get in, Joseph. Henderson doesn't have anything to tell us, so we’re going back to the station until we get the search warrant.” He stormed around the side of the car, slamming the passenger side door shut. 

Joseph scowled, and Juli wasn't sure who he was angry with- her or Henderson. He slid into the car beside her, and as Connelly began to drive, she slid her hand over, intertwining their fingers in an apology. 

He squeezed his hand in response, and they were content to sit there together, until the radio squealed. 

Hands separated as Sebastian answered the call, and Juli sat back against the seat, looking out the window.

Probably a general robbery or something-

“Beacon Mental Hospital? Yeah, we're on our way.”

Her heart sank. This is not what she wanted, not today. She wants to go back to the office and press for a warrant and go back to Joseph's place for dinner or something like that.

The talk turns to ghosts as Connelly drives, and she shrugs off an answer when Seb asked her for an opinion.

“We’ll find out when we get there,” she says, and then-

 

 _“Son of a-!”_ Joseph.

 _“God fucking-“_ Sebastian.

 _“Whoa Jesus okay-“_ Connelly.

 

-they're in STEM. One look out the window confirms it, and her stomach can't sink any lower. There's no turning back now, not when a good mile of the city around the hospital’s been sucked in too. 

Pulling up to the hospital, she climbed out of the car before Sebastian or Joseph can tell her to stay, and she takes the right, peering into cars.

God, how many people were sucked in? It was almost like a third of the patrol cars out that day were in the courtyard...how many officers had Jimenez sucked in?

“Okay- Joseph you're with me. Juli, I want you watching the doors.” Sebastian and Joseph reach the doors the same time she does, and as he turned to go inside, Juli grabs the back of his vest. 

“No. Trust me, I've got a bad feeling about this. I'm coming in too.” She should feel worse for disobeying a direct order from her superior, but it's for his own good.

He looked to Joseph, and Joseph looked to her. 

They look at each other.

“…okay, fine.” Sebastian waved them through the doors, carefully shutting them behind. “But stick close, and keep your eyes open. I don't want anyone sneaking up on us from behind because we didn't have someone watching the doors."

Juli nodded. “Right.”

Now she just needed the right time to explain herself. That's all she needed.

 

Of course STEM wasn't going to be that accommodating. 

With the voice of her real boss echoing in her skull, she stepped over the bodies laying in the waiting room, until Joseph summoned them both to the security office.

The idiot doctor was still alive, somehow, and her and Joseph crouch with him, listening to him babble/

And that's when Ruvik appeared. 

One second Sebastian is looking at the security cameras, the next he’s just GONE, and the man Juli knows to be Ruvik is standing there in his place.

She grabs Joseph’s arm, the doctors too, and pulls them up to their feet, to run, as he turns and smiles at her.

 

And that’s when the floor falls out from under her.

 

She hits the ground, or rather a pool, hard, water and blood and god knows what else splashing up to cover her, drenching her in the sticky, disgusting mess. It’s all she can do to not vomit as she wades her way to a ladder, eager to get out of the slurry that surrounds her legs.

Then something-someone?- else falls into it from above, sending a wave of the blood over her back.

“Ahrg!”

She shuddered as the other person curses, but still she’s relieved. It's Sebastian, and he's still alive. Now she just has to hope that Joseph is too.

“Jesus, fuck…Juli?” He stumbled towards her, spitting and gagging and trying not to swallow any of the liquid. “You're okay?”

“Yeah…are you?” He's limping, but he shrugs her off when she offers her shoulder.

“I'll live, so long as I get out of this swill. Is Joseph…?” She shakes her head, and he groans. “Damnit.”

 

They both climb out of the sludge, Sebastian taking time that Juli didn't understand until she saw his leg. 

_‘It's STEM. We’ll be fine. It won't scar.’_ She tells herself, but still makes a point of tying part of her shirt around it. The less blood, the better. 

“What happened?”

Sebastian grunted, and she let him lead the way. 

“Big fucker with a chainsaw happened. Woke up hanging from the ceiling, and right as I got free, the bastard started chasing me.”

“Jesus… I must have lost time then- It was, like, a minute ago that you-I fell down here.” Juli caught herself, shaking her head as she followed his limping form out and away from the blood pit room. 

“Well, I know I wasn’t moving that fast…specially not with this damn leg.” The dip in the sewer water certainly didn’t help, the chill a shock to Juli and nearly made Sebastian double over in pain. 

He took her shoulder after that, the pair of them moving slowly towards the exit.

The chained up exit. 

“…well. I guess we’re not going this way,” Sebastian said, and Juli snorted.

“Good thing there's a ladder then.”

 

It was fairly slow going, Juli taking the rear so nothing came up behind them and pulled the slower partner down again. She didn't doubt that whatever it was that'd got her partner before would be back. 

And it- _he?_ \- was soon enough. They'd just gotten into a room- a door, a locker, and a pile of crates- when the door to the prior one burst open to the grinding sound of a chainsaw. 

“Oh fuck.”

While Juli attempted the door, which was locked, Sebastian had pulled the locker open. He grabbed her by the arm, and with a yank they were both squished into the locker. 

 

“Seb-“ before she could complain though, he clapped a hand over her mouth, making a shushing noise. 

Juli huffed under the hand, but stayed silent as the man with the chainsaw slammed his way around the room. 

At any other time, it would have almost been fun, being shoved in a locker with either of her partners. But STEM curbed any urges and instead she breathed a sigh of relief as they eventually tumbled out. 

“Okay that wasn't as fun as if imagined being stuck in a locker with you would be,” Sebastian said, and Juli snorted. 

“Next time we can uninvite that guy, and see how it goes.”

Getting through the next room was a little harder than either had expected, the man with the chainsaw not content to be distracted long enough for both of them to move through the area at the same time. Sebastian went first, and Juli waited until she could see him right outside a door to move herself. 

At least then he had a head start if the maniac started chasing them, and by some small miracle, Juli still had her gun.

Which he did. They'd reached a hall with an open elevator at the end, and the man broke down the door behind them, moving towards them with a roar.

“Go! I’ve got my gun, I can hold him off-“ Juli began to shoot, hoping she was able to buy Sebastian enough time to get to the elevator.

 

Or enough time for him to trip over a gurney and wheelchair.

“Are you okay?!” she yelled, stumbling backwards, dodging the chainsaw as it got closer and closer to her. 

“Uhg- yeah, I’ll live! Hurry!” Without a second look, Juli spun and vaulted over the gurneys, bolting to where Sebastian was leaning near the elevator. “Get in!”

She dove as he did, moments before the man with the chainsaw, impossibly fast, rammed the metal gate.

It didn't buckle or warp, and Juli let herself relax on the floor of the elevator. If this was what STEM was going to be like…how were they going to survive? No, they'd have to survive. 

 

She wouldn't let either of them die if she could help it.

 

"Fuck.” Looking up, she saw Seb throw his empty packet of smokes into the corner, and sighed. 

“Smoking will kill you.” She said, and he snorted. 

“Yeah yeah. But I'd rather a death by cigs than that asshole. I guess this isn't going to be the usual case, huh.”

Juli shook her head slowly, before standing. The elevator had been going for some time- were they going to reach the top soon?

“How's the leg?” She asked, and Sebastian reached down to tug at the makeshift bandage. 

“It doesn't hurt nearly as much as it did earlier, which is a-“ he stopped, frowned, and Juli crouched by him. 

“What's wrong?”

He shook his head slowly. “I know I got sliced by that guy, so then…why is the wound gone?”

Juli shook her head slowly. Obviously he -Ruvik- had decided that there was no need for Sebastian to be injured. Or maybe… She didn't want to consider the possibility that it was Möbius pulling the strings.

“No idea. But it looks like our stop is coming up next, so…” She held out her hand, and pulled Sebastian up. Maybe this was it, a test, and they'd be let go. 

 

“Doubtful, Kid.” A voice said from behind them, and Juli tried to ignore it as her and Sebastian hurried to the hospital entrance. Maybe if she could tune the voice out… 

“Stop ignoring me, Kid! You know your orders- now act on them!”

She stumbled, and Sebastian almost turned back for her. For all he knew, it was the violent shaking that seemed to hit the hospital that made her fall, not the cold fear she felt.

Then the light crashed down from the ceiling as the building shook. 

“Go! I’ll catch up, somehow!” she yelled, but Seb shook his head.

“No way! I’m not letting you go awol like Joseph.”

He waited by the door until she's scrambled to her feet, joining him as they burst out into the city. 

 

Into destruction. 

 

While Sebastian was staring, open mouthed around them, Juli grabbed his arm, running towards where they’d left the car. 

“Detectives! Quick!” Connelly was not in the car, but rather an ambulance, and he was waiting for them. 

Juli banged on the back door until it opened a little, pulling herself inside as the ground began to crumble under her feet. Sebastian climbed in the window. 

“Joseph hasn't come out?” 

She could hear Sebastian and Connelly talking as they peel away from the hospital, and she laid back on the metal floor. That was…it was too much. Especially with the director talking in her ear.

 

And then the world fell out from under her, again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be one chapter and now it's two because of length. "oops"


	4. Chapter 4

At this point, all Juli wanted to do was sit down and cry a little until everything seemed normal again. 

Since the crash, she'd run from something with a searchlight for a head, got in a fight with…a haunted (it was _NOT_ Joseph, damnit), run from her boss more than once, and grappled with what to do with Leslie. 

The Leslie in question was currently in front of her, heading towards the front of the church, and after a quick scan, Juli let him go.

There wasn't anything in the place to deal with, and her legs were killing her. Sitting. Sitting sounded like a good idea. 

How long would the snippet of peace last? She didn't know, but despite how much she just wanted to rest for a little bit, her memories didn't seem content to let her.

“I hate this church. I really really hate this church.” She sighed, closing her eyes and resting her head on the back of the next pew. Memories of her mother, father, people she knew once disappearing into the place, never returning. "Let me know when you want to leave, okay?" she said as footsteps approached.

“All churches, or is this the only one?”

It wasn't Leslie, like Juli’d assumed, but Ruvik, and she jolted up, wide eyed and bristling. 

“Stay away from Leslie,” she warned, a look to the side showing that he was across the church, staring up at the statue at the alter.

“Answer me.” Ruvik watched her as she drew her gun, but did nothing. Why did he want to know?

Why would he even care?

“All churches. But this one I really hate. I won't let you have him.” She sidled to the side, into the main aisle. Maybe there was another way out that her and Leslie could go…

“I doubt you could stop me now. I already have a foothold on Leslie. Why this one in particular?” Leslie moved past her and out of her reach before she could react, mimicking Ruvik exactly. 

“Leave him alone! He's just a kid…” Juli hesitated. Things weren't going hostile so long as she answered his questions… “Because I lost my mother to this church. Did you make that happen to Joseph?”

She doesn't want to specify, doesn't want to think about it. It wasn't him.

“And you didn't follow her into the flock? Interesting. And I did nothing, except give Oda a push. He did everything else. Why do you care so much for them when it goes against your orders?”

“Because I love them. Now-“ before she could finish, Ruvik and Leslie seemed to waver. 

Shit. 

“What do you think you're doing, Kid? You're supposed to destroy him, not talk to him! I am _very_ disappointed.”

There was no point in arguing, running was her only option. And when she reached the end of the line, the only thing in front of her a cliff and waves below, she jumped. 

 

She stumbled as the scenery changed around her again, almost falling into Sebastian as she pushed open the door.

“Hey, are you okay?” Even though he looked like hell and she…well Juli was banged up but not _that_ bad…he asked about her first.

“I…” Her voice warbled, and she was _ready_ to tell him everything, but then the doors began to buckle. “I'm fine! It's fine. We have to deal with them.”

And if Sebastian sent her a look, and rested his hand on her shoulder for a moment, she was okay with that. 

Juli had been beginning to think that no one particularly cared for her again, and it was comforting to know that Sebastian still did. 

 

Then he turned. 

 

The door was locked, Ruvik standing there-the smug asshole- and Sebastian was telling her to run. 

Her first instinct was to reach for her gun. Her second was to ignore that and brace for impact. 

 

If she could deal with Joseph without hurting him, then she could do the same for Seb. 

 

He slammed her back against the door, and she cried out as her side was crushed against the doorknob. But still Juli kept at her original plan…which admittedly was just to hold Sebastian back until she could run. 

She never said it was a good plan. 

“G-get off!” A hand on his chest, she shoved at him, not expecting much. Sebastian was built like a tank, and she had no leverage. “Sebastian! You're hurting me! **GET OFF**!”

Maybe it was the screaming, maybe it was Ruvik finally getting bored, but he stumbled back and Juli bolted. 

 

The door on the other side of the room wasn't locked, and she slammed it closes, turned the lock, and slid down against it. 

She _didn't want this_. 

She hadn't been sitting there long when Sebastian knocked on it, making her jump. 

“Juli? Are you there? Are you okay?” He asked, and when she looked up she could see him looking through the glass. He must have only been able to see her feet at that angle. 

“…I don't know,” she admitted, resting her head on her arms. She was tired and sore and she didn't know what to do. “You changed back there.”

He sighed, and she heard something- his head or hand-hit the glass of the window. “I'm sorry. I wish- I should have been able to fight it. Will you let me out?”

It took her a second, but Juli pulled herself up and unlocked the door. “Do not blame yourself. This place…it does things. I'll be okay though, probably just a few bruises to deal with.”

Sebastian shook his head, and held out how arms. “Hug?”

She smiled. “That would be wonderful, but I think we should focus on finding Joseph first. H-have you seen him? I…there's something I need to tell you guys.”

Sebastian shrugged. “Last I saw him, he was at the church. And is it about why you've looked like someone drowned your cat lately?”

“You were at the church too? I didn't see you…” Had they seen her, heard her talking to Ruvik? Or the director?

“We didn't see you either. Heard you and Leslie in the basement, but couldn't find you.”

Ah. Right. She forgot for a moment that what she saw and what Seb did was different. What did Joseph see?

“Oh…yeah, it has to do with that…junk. I didn't think you or Joseph would have noticed, to be truthful.” Juli said as they descended the stairs. She wasn't used to people noticing things about her still. 

“Trust me, I noticed. I was married once, remember? I know what to look for.” He said, before remembering something. “ Oh right. You, uh, dropped this back there. Sorry.”

Wordlessly, Juli took back her gun, her head spinning. 

Sebastian had been married? When had that been? Before her and Joseph, she was sure. 

Right?

As she turned to ask about his former wife or husband, something made of bone, large and covered in hair, crashed between them. 

 

“Oh fu- **RUN!** ”

 

Juli didn't take the time to really look at the thing, almost a spider, instead bolting to the nearest building. 

Inside, a bus. 

Inside, _Joseph_. 

“ **GET ON THE BUS AND START IT!** ” She screamed to him, and he turned to question her, before catching sight of whatever it was chasing them. He turned again, pulling the doors open and sliding inside. 

Juli really hoped there were keys inside. And gas. And no haunted. 

She managed to jump into the bus before Sebastian, and he clambered in at the last second, right as Joseph began to drive. 

“What is that? He yelled, and Juli didn't answer. It was coming and she got the feeling that she'd be shooting, not talking in a moment. 

 

The thing was- well, it didn't really matter way it was, but the fact that it was dead was important. 

After taking a moment to breath and patch each other up, Juli climbed into the drivers seat. 

If she was really going to do this, going to tell them the truth and who she was, she was going to find a safe place and park out of sight.

“Okay, so I think if we go right and get on the Main Street, we can get to Beacon-“ Joseph started, but Seb shook his head. 

“Juli’s got something to tell us.”

Joseph sighed. “It can't wait until we’re out of here?”

“No. How things have been going, I don't…I don't think all of us will. I have to tell you now.” She said, and Joseph and Sebastian shared a look. 

God she hated this. But it was better than lying anymore. 

Pulling under a piece of collapsed building and a parking garage, she killed the engine and turned to them. 

Took a deep, deep breath. 

 

“I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.”

 

It obviously wasn't what either of them were expecting. 

“What do you mean by that? I…don’t think you’ve done anything to apologize for. If anything I know I should be apologizing again for what happened.” Sebastian said, looking to Joseph, then back to her.

“Exactly. I mean it’s not like you had anything to do with this place, did you?” Joseph asked with a chuckle.

Juli felt her heart sink even further. They were going to hate her.

She pulled her gun out, and set it on the floor. At that, they both gave her a sharp look.

“…you didn’t have anything to do with this, right?” Sebastian asked now, and she felt like crying. 

 

She _was_ crying.

 

God, she was a mess and she can barely talk clearly enough for them to hear. 

“I- I was hired-“ she coughed, and shied away as Joseph stood and crouched down near her as she sank to the bottom of the bus. “I was hired, by Mobius, to…to watch you.”

“…what? What do you mean? What’s Mobius?”

She looked at Sebastian, completely confused. So did Joseph.

“Uh…Seb? Remember, you were looking into them, after Myra went missing.” Sebastian now had a matching look of confusion.

“Wait…I don’t- what?”

“Joseph…I have a question, then I need to keep talking, okay?” Juli interrupts, and Joseph nodded. “Did I know that Seb was married, before?”

Sebastian snorted. “Myra introduced us, Juli. She’s the one who pushed for your transfer to homicide. So yeah, you knew my wife.”

She nodded to herself. It was STEM, it had to be. Otherwise, why else would she not know about the wife, and Sebastian not knowing about Mobius?

“Kay…” Deep breaths, Juli. “STEM- what we are in- was created partially by Mobius. And partially by the…entity known now as Ruvik. There was a…the doctor…he activated it. Pulled us in.”

God, she felt sick.

“I was told to work with you, and…new order came in to…to…”

“Juli…are you a spy?” Joseph asked as she lost her will to speak, and she nodded. Shook her head. She hadn’t sent in any real information in months. Nothing they can use, anyways. 

“Was,” she croaked, shaking. God they have to hate her. They can’t not. She’s repulsive.

“What changed that?” Sebastian asked, even though she knows he knows the answer. 

“You. Both of you. And I…fuck. I hate this.” Juli rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms, then spat it out. “They want me to kill you both. In here. They want me to fucking end everything and I fucking wont, you hear me! **I FUCKING REFUSE!** ”

That she screams, the words echoing throughout the abandoned area. Joseph and Sebastian stare.

Juli doesn’t care anymore.

“I-“ she pulled herself to her feet, letting Joseph help her. “I am going to get you both out of this alive. If it's the last thing I can do.”

“All three of us, you mean.” Joseph said, still with his hand on her shoulder. “I know things wouldn’t be right without you, Juli.”

“Even if you owe us a really, REALLY good explanation after this is all over and done with.” Sebastian added, bending to pick up her gun, passing it back. 

She takes it without a word, and her eyes must have shown how unsure she was, as Sebastian pulled them both into a hug.

“Come on, Juli. I love you, Joe loves you. It’ll be okay.”

“…kay…” 

 

She really, really hoped it would be. 

 

“Agent Kidman? Are you alright?”

Juli stumbles, and catch herself before she falls to the ground. 

Ruvik had- 

The director had-

She shakes her head, and looks around. 

“How long…?” she asks, and the woman in the suit- Gutierrez- gives her a pitying look. 

“35 minutes, Agent. We’re moving that one-,” she points, and Juli’s heart freezes. Joseph. “-to the Huston facility in 48 hours. The rest…are almost all dead. I haven’t finished checking them though.”

“I’ll finish.” She says, and the other agent gives her a look, before shrugging and walking off with Joseph. “…fuck.”

Sebastian is still alive- weak, but alive. She disconnects the wires and heart monitor, and is in the middle of muddying his results, when another voice calls to her.

“Agent! He’s waiting for you.”

 

Myra. 

Shit.

That was her contact with Mobius. Myra **fucking** Hanson **fucking** Castellanos. 

How could she have forgotten that important tidbit of info?

 

“Right! Leave these three- they’re gone.” She motions to Sebastian, to the doctor and Connelly, and hopes that she survives the meeting. 

She needs to survive the meeting. 

How else can she help Joseph?

 

When Sebastian wakes, when he stumbles out of the tub and Beacon and into an ambulance, his only thoughts are for his partners. So when he’s cleared by the medics and sent home, he doesn’t think to see Juli there, not after what she told them.

But there she is, a box of tissues in her lap, wearing a suit and looking both terrified and enraged.

“In 24 hours, they’re going to find out that I lied about you being dead. In 45 hours, they’re taking Joseph and we wont be able to get him back. Please, help me.”

 

And he does.


	5. Chapter 5

They don't have much time. 

 

Thankfully, Joseph wasn’t too badly hurt after the fight with Ruvik- a few bruises, a concussion, and a broken wrist- and once Sebastian and Juli broke in to get him, it was smooth sailing. The guards barely put up a fight, and almost everyone else in the facility was just a researcher or a scientist. 

Sebastian would say it was almost too smooth.

“I really hope this isn’t a fucking trap…” he mutters, and Juli shoots him a pained look. 

“It isn’t! I promise, it really isn’t…I just-This isn’t the main headquarters here, and I did tell them you were dead. They aren’t going to be expecting you to steal Joseph, and definitely not me. Just…hurry and grab whatever you need.”

“What about you?” Joseph asks, and she shrugs. 

“I don’t have much to bring. I have my banking information, my ID, and my passport. But we’re going to miss our plane if you don’t hurry up, Sebastian.”

He grunts, waves the words away.

“I know, I know. I’ll be five minutes, tops. If you hear gunfire, run.”

“Inside to save your ass? I know, I know.” Joseph grins at him, and Sebastian slams the door a little harder than necessary. He isn't going to put his partners in danger again...even if he shouldn't be blaming himself for the disaster they somehow survived. That was on Mobius's shoulders. 

A week ago it had been work and looking for Myra. Now it was escaping to Canada, and leaving everything behind because of a fucking machine. 

But Mobius is too dangerous to fight, especially when a number of his coworkers actually work for them. He’d always known that the KCPD was a corrupt organization, but he hadn’t wanted to think it was _that_ corrupt. 

 

The things you learn after being trapped in a mind-melding nightmare world.

 

The door unlocks with ease, and he slips inside. His luggage is where it was before, and it doesn’t take long to sweep everything he needs into it. 

It’s the fiddly things that take time though. 

There’s the wedding album, Lily’s baby photos. 

He leaves them, and takes the watch he’d got for Joseph, and the necklace for Juli instead. 

(He takes Lily’s baby book though. He couldn’t just forget his poor little girl.)

The last thing Sebastian does before leaving is to slip an envelope under the landlord’s door. She was a pain in his ass, but she didn’t deserve to be hit out of the blue when Mobius came knocking. 

 

“I’m ready now, do we need anything else before we go?” he asks, sliding the suitcase into the trunk and into the drivers seat.

“You already fixed your bank account?” Juli asks, and he nods as he pulls out onto the highway. “Then I guess we’re good, if your parents are good with this, Joe.”

Joseph nods. “My mother wants to meet you, and my father wants some more dirt on Mobius. He’s trying to strengthen the bill to keep them out of that part of Canada.”

He pauses.

“I hope you both packed a French-English dictionary.”

Neither Sebastian or Juli reply, and Joseph sighs.

“Well, that’s what the airport book store is for, I guess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND IT'S DONE! Huge thanks to Beckon for the comments that kept me motivated to finish this tonight!
> 
> And not huge thanks to the AO3 formatting which I can never make look nice I am very sorry ;;;
> 
> (keep an eye out for a lil side story that's coming soon too! ;D )


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